But, he would not be the player he has been over the past three seasons if it weren't for Gorham, Khlyan Hunt, Ricky Rider and Antwane Miller running the floor with him.

Gorham is a two-time SUNYAC all-conference selection. He was last year's SUNYAC tournament MVP, was named to the SUNYAC tournament team once again this year, joined Williams as a SUNYAC First Team member this year and was the only player in the conference to average a double-double.

Hunt (a SUNYAC Second-Team choice), Miller and Rider have flown underneath the radar throughout their successful careers.

That said, this team has a legitimate chance at a national title. They have the right coach and the perfect assortment of players. More importantly, though, their attitude and focus is where it needs to be. And, that's because they are an experienced and confident group.

"Personally, the rankings and records look good on paper, but they mean nothing to me," Gorham said. "All that matters is what happens at the end of this season. We want to put a ring on our fingers and hold up a national title next weekend, but we know we have to take care of things one game at a time.

"When all is over, we want Plattsburgh State be next to the No. 1 in the national rankings. To do that, we need to win the national championship."

In order to even reach the Final Four, though, the Cardinals will have to get through two games this weekend. First on the list, Brandeis.

Brandeis is 22-5 this season, but three of its losses came in a row during the middle stage of its season. Since then, the Judges have won 10 of their last 11 contests to ascend to No. 5 in the national rankings.

They are a hard-nosed, well-coached group that knows how to win. Like the Cardinals, the Judges are in the midst of back-to-back 20-win seasons.

"They get in your face on the defensive end," said Curle. "We have got to take care of the ball if we want to win this game. They are quick, athletic and will get into your space.

"We can't let them make us uncomfortable and rush things," he continued. "We need to be physical with them and take care of the ball. If we can take care of the ball and get good shots, we will be right where we want to be.

"We have reached a goal we set when the tournament started, but it's not a bad thing to dream big. Now that we are close to a Final Four we are going to take this one game at a time. That's the only way to handle it."

For Gorham and Williams, their senior year couldn't have played out any better. It's not over yet, however. They want four more wins, but they want two more at home, especially.

"It's a big advantage for us to play at home," Gorham said. "We have fed off the crowd so much that having homecourt makes us even better. We also can keep our regular routines, relax and get ready to play.

"This is what it's all about. Let's do this, man."